Insulation Institute Blog

Posts Categorized: High-performance Homes

5 Promising Developments for Decarbonization

As a new decade begins, there are promising developments on the horizon for building decarbonization and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions in residential and commercial construction. While federal support for decarbonization to address climate impacts is at a standstill, non-governmental organizations, state and local governments, and industry are all focused on sustainability and building decarbonization actions that may ultimately lead to real progress. Here are five promising developments for decarbonization that have the potential to shape an active decade of progress.

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5 Promising Developments for Decarbonization

Our Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019

Like last year, some of our best-performing blog posts focused on air sealing and proper installation and application of fiberglass and mineral wool insulation, which is no surprise, since we’re the Insulation Institute. However, other topics like energy efficiency design trends and the prioritization of energy efficiency over energy generation ranked highly as well.

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Our Top 10 Blog Posts of 2019

Chasing Greater Energy Efficiency in New Homes

Residential building energy code adoption and implementation have expanded steadily in the U.S. in recent years, with roughly 40 percent of states having a residential energy efficiency code that is equivalent to or higher than the 2015 IECC. With all the progress that’s occurred in recent years, is the building industry reaching peak efficiency? If not, what more can be done to spur states to adopt and enforce building energy efficiency codes, and how does the industry support home builders still struggling to understand new codes? Insulation Institute spoke with Matthew Cooper, Senior Vice President of PEG LLC, about the current state of code adoption, implementation, and enforcement and what measures could improve energy-efficient construction in the U.S. today and in the future.

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Chasing Greater Energy Efficiency in New Homes

Try This Old School Hack for Estimating Insulation Jobs

Getting accurate estimates for insulation installation jobs in new construction homes sounds like a relatively simple undertaking, but for some contractors, getting precise material quantities for jobs can be a challenge. Do you use software to estimate materials, or do you have an estimator review the construction plans? Is it necessary to “walk the house” to get the materials estimates? What’s the best approach? Insulation Institute talked with three building industry professionals about providing accurate estimates for batt and blown in insulation jobs and why it matters to get it right the first time.

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Try This Old School Hack for Estimating Insulation Jobs

The Housing Guy Talks Zero Energy’s Expansion

In the past three months, Sam Rashkin, chief architect of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Office, has been traveling non-stop, speaking at meetings and conferences about the expansion of zero energy buildings in the United States. While accustomed to an exacting traveling and speaking schedule, the demands on his time likely accelerated with word that Rashkin will retire from the DOE and his role as chief housing-efficiency advocate at the end of the year. Insulation Institute recently caught up with Rashkin for an assessment on zero energy building today and where it’s headed in the future.

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The Housing Guy Talks Zero Energy’s Expansion

Builder Spotlight: Insight’s Innovation Win

DOE’s Housing Innovation Awards recognize the best in home building innovation on the path toward Net Zero. Among this year’s winners in the production home category is Insight Homes, a Delaware builder and previous innovation award winner. Insight’s ability to evolve its construction practices to take advantage of the latest in building science developments and energy-efficient construction techniques are among the characteristics that set this exceptional builder apart from the competition.

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Builder Spotlight: Insight’s Innovation Win

Desire for Healthier Homes Boosts IAQ Solutions

A study commissioned by Second Nature, the nation’s largest home wellness subscription service, revealed that 99 percent of Americans want a healthy home, yet 62 percent say they could do a better job of obtaining one. One of the major ways that homeowners can ensure a healthy home is maintaining good indoor air quality (IAQ). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates[1] that indoor air is up to five times more polluted than outdoor air, an alarming fact that is likely to heighten consumer concerns.

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Desire for Healthier Homes Boosts IAQ Solutions

Award-Winning Builds…Even at the Low End

For the second time in three years, North Carolina Builder Shawn Jessup has won a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Housing Innovation Award. While Jessup’s scale may be small, at two to three builds per year, he is in high demand. S.D. Jessup Construction fields constant requests from potential customers in Raleigh, NC and other areas more than two hours away from their Pilot Mountain, NC base. Insulation Institute reached out to Jessup to get the scoop on his formula for constructing award-winning homes.

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Award-Winning Builds…Even at the Low End

A Model for the Net Zero Built Environment

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has some of the most advanced policies and programs in the country to support a net zero built environment for existing and new construction homes. Other states would do well to follow their lead.  

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A Model for the Net Zero Built Environment

The Case for Energy-Plus-Health Programs

Transformations taking place in both the home energy efficiency arena and healthcare are coming together in ways that present opportunities for these industries to work collaboratively to improve outcomes for customers.  VEIC, a sustainable energy company with a mission to enhance the environmental and societal benefits of clean and efficient energy use for all people, is out with a new Energy-Plus-Health Playbook. The playbook examines a three-tiered approach to targeting unhealthy and substandard existing housing conditions that cause energy burdens and compromise the household health of low- and middle-income customers.

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The Case for Energy-Plus-Health Programs